Stereoscopic visual displays, also called three-dimensional (3D) displays, are rapidly becoming ubiquitous. These devices are commonly used for viewing 3D movies or for gaming applications. Use of stereoscopic technology may create realistic games or scenery by providing depth to objects through presenting a unique view to each eye of a viewer, in a way approaching a real life viewer experience. In polarization technology 3D TV, linear polarized and circularly polarized lights are used to separate two complementary images. Stereoscopic imaging therefore requires simultaneous display of two complementary images, emitted at distinct polarizations. According to some 3D vision methods, left and right images are displayed alternatively and viewers wear special glasses having distinct filters on the left and right sides, for example shutter glasses, to ensure that each eye perceives a distinct one of the complementary images.
Autostereoscopic display systems do not require a viewer to wear specialized glasses. Some autostereoscopic display systems use head tracking systems or eye tracking systems to actively and adaptively deflect complementary images emitted from a display toward a viewer's left and right eyes.
Conventionally, head tracking autostereoscopic displays offer only half of the available resolution in 3D and may rely either on mechanical lenticular displacement to steer vertical interlaced stereo images to each corresponding eyes or use a controllable barrier with a very small strip, which is a lot smaller than a pixel size. Moreover, complex electro-optical arrangements are required to support 3D and two-dimensional (2D) imaging on the same display.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and devices for displaying 3D images of good resolution without requiring the viewer to wear special glasses while also allowing a viewer freedom of movement.